Gaming Brought Us Together
by InAMysticsMind
Summary: Dean and Gabriel met through a video game. When Gabriel moves to their town however, that's when the real adventures begin. DEANXCASTIEL & SAMXGABRIEL
1. Chapter 1: In The Game

The woods are quiet. The sun is setting over the treetops, making the surroundings a bit difficult to decipher. Dean groans in irritation as he realizes he cannot take much more damage. The cold is not helping. He suddenly regrets not picking the fur-lined armor before heading into battle as he notices the snow falling around him. Then it happens. He is shot right through the eyes with an arrow.

"Gosh damn it Charlie!" he yells as he respawns back at the base camp, the bottom screen flashing 'WinchestertheTerminator killed by CharlieisaBABEmagnent.'

"Ding-dong bitches!" she yells, and a moment later Gabriel releases a frustrated groan. 'FRIENDLY FIRE: Gabeisabigbagofdicks slaughtered by CharlieisaBABEmagnent' (last time Gabe lets an angry Castiel near his computer, well, at least when he hasn't yet confirmed his account creation info. Honestly, DoctorGabetheMasculineBabe had such a better ring to it).

"I'm on your team!"

"Don't care!" Charlie yells. Gabriel sighs as he respawns back to his own base as well.

"Well at least you're brutal to everyone," Dean grumbles as he goes to collect some weapons and ammunition so he's not completely helpless.

"Well you know, all except Gl-"

"Finish that and I will burn your house down before you even move here!" Charlie threatens, aiming her bow as she spots Gabriel's character attempting to sneak through the foliage that follows a trail outside the base. On second thought she switches to a Molotov, hoping it will accentuate her point. She chucks it and his character releases a scream of pain as it falls to the ground before disappearing as he respawns.

"Aw come on Char don't do that! They just finished painting it! And I swear if I find one streak I'm calling those guys back and making them redo it."

"You're so picky."

"They're not gonna screw up my girl and get away with it," Gabriel huffs, growling slightly as Charlie's not-girlfriend-but-practically-is blows him up.

"Speaking of girls...," Dean chuckles as 'Gabeisabigbagofdicks blown to bits by DorthytheFairyQueen', "I think Charlie's been playing with Gilda, she's getting good. I think that's the fourth time I've seen her name pop up in the past 3 minutes."

"Why can't you be a bit more normal Gabe? I mean really, most guys obsess over their cars, true not to Dean's extent but-"

"Oi, I am normal-"

"I beg to differ," a gravelly voice calls from the background and Dean grins.

"That a boy Cas," Dean calls and Charlie laughs.

"Don't praise him for insulting me! His self-esteem is already too high for the average high schooler," Gabe huffs and Castiel rolls his eyes, grabbing an orange juice from the fridge.

"Don't listen to him Cas, Glinda just kicked his ass three times over! He's pissy!" Dean yells over the headset loud enough for Cas to hear, and for Gabriel to cringe and pull the headset away from his ears. Castiel sighs and walks over, grabbing the mic attached.

"Thank you for your assistance Dean, but I've dealt with Gabriel's abuse for nineteen years, I think I can handle him when he's dealing with the... issues that come along with his menstrual cycle," Castiel says, a slight smirk on his lips as he pulls back and walks back to his room; Gabriel sends him daggers. Dean just laughs hysterically.

"Dude, I love your brother." Gabriel just smirks.

"I'm well aware of that disturbing crush you harbor," Gabriel says, raising a challenging eyebrow even though he knows Dean can't see it.

"What? That's not what I said. You-" Dean pauses, struggling for words. He finally sighs, but not defeated. "I don't have a crush on your brother."

"Sure you don't. Just like I don't think little Sammy is-"

"Please keep any and all comments involving my younger brother out of this conversation," Dean says, throwing a Molotov at Gabriel. Said victim groans in frustration. True he may not actually know anything about Dean's younger brother other than he's of legal age and Dean hates awkward comments being made about him, but he still enjoys irritating Dean none-the-less.

"Enough of the Molotov, please. That makes the fourth time in a row I have died via Molotov."

"Well keep the creepy younger brother comments to yourself and stop pissing off the power couple and maybe you won't keep dying," Dean chuckles and Charlie rolls her eyes. She aims her bow at Dean once more and he huffs as he's killed again. "I should have seen that one coming," he groans.

"Hey guys," another voice comes over their headsets respectively. The bottom screen flashes 'NERD ALERT has joined the game.'

"Kevin!" they all yell in unison and the younger boy cringes slightly.

"I hate it when you guys do that, it's creepy."

"Hence the reason we do it kiddo," Gabriel responds, biting into a piece of licorice.

"Dean why do you play video games with my friends? It's weird," Sam comments from the background and Dean rolls his eyes.

"Kevin is a family friend genius. Just because you go to school with him does not make him _your_ friend. Same thing goes for Jo," Dean explains for what he feels had to be the millionth time. Sam rolls his eyes before grabbing an apple and heading towards the door. "I'm heading out for school Dean. I'll see you later."

"See ya later Sammy!"

"It's Sam," Sam deadpans for the umpteenth time. Dean just sends him a lopsided grin in response before turning back to his game. The others had all been yelling curses at one another during his absence. Dean hears a rather familiar voice that hadn't been there when he'd began talking to Sam and raises an eyebrow.

"Glinda, good to hear your voice. When did you get a headset?" Dean questions, never recalling her having been part of any of their previous conversations.

"Charlie got it for me for Christmas but this is the first time I've actually gotten it to work."

"I told you I could have helped you," Charlie giggles. Yeah, Charlie giggles, but only when a certain brunette fairy lover is involved.

"But you help me with _everything_. I wanted to figure it out on my own. No instructions. Just pure brain power."

"You googled it didn't you?" Gabe asks and she huffs.

"It was too complicated! I don't understand technology," Glinda huffs in a way that one can basically see the pout forming on her lips. The others all laugh before assuring her that it's okay to be technologically challenged. She only listens when Charlie says it.

"Gabe come on! I have to be at school in fifteen minutes!" a voice yells in the background of Gabriel's mic.

"Alright guys I gotta head out. I will see you all tomorrow at my house to help with the move?" he asks and receives everyone's respective agreements before disconnecting from the game.


	2. Chapter 2: Moving In

"Dean, I don't see why I have to help. He's _your_ friend," Sam grumbles as they hop into the impala. Dean simply rolls his eyes at the objections and turns his key.

"Because I want you to meet Cas. He's going to be going to your school and from what Gabriel said he's pretty shy so I thought maybe you could get to know him and show him around and stuff. Come on, you remember what it was like to be the new kid," Dean sighs, not wanting to bring their past into it. Sam sighs.

"You said he's into comics right? He can't suck that much then."

"That a boy Sam," Dean grins and Sam rolls eyes. They both know he would have agreed anyway, but no conversation is complete between them without a little bickering. The rest of their journey goes by rather silently, aside from the classic rock station blaring over the radio. Five minutes later Dean pulls into a short drive, two cars and a moving truck already in the driveway.

Dean hops out of his car and motions for Sam to follow him towards the house. The front door is literally off of its hinges and sitting on the ground. Dean peaks his head in with a curious eyebrow raised.

"A little bit to the left. Not that far! No- Don't- You're gonna scratch the walls!" a very loud and familiar voice yells. Dean chuckles and walks inside and towards the voice. He stumbles across the living room, filled with four people. Two whom Dean assumes are the movers attempting to place a couch, one elf he recognizes as Gabriel who is yelling at, and a guy just a few inches shorter than Dean himself that's attempting to drill something into the wall.

"Well looks like Charlie hasn't gotten ahold of anything yet," Dean comments as he walks into the room. Gabe pauses his rant to turn and look at the new entrees.

"Dean-o! Why, isn't it good to see you in the flesh? And Sammy, you are a tree."

"It's Sam," Sam huffs, glaring at Dean. He was the one who called him 'Sammy' so many times over that stupid headset of his. Gabe shrugs before flashing Sam a grin.

"I'm aware," he chuckles before glancing back to his sofa, now sat on the ground. He just sighs. "Okay thanks guys that's great. We'll be out in a sec to help lug in the rest of the truck," Gabe says, motioning them towards the door. As soon as they're out he walks over to the couch, motioning for Dean to help. He moves it over an inch before stopping and setting it back down. "Was that so hard?" he mutters before turning to the person that has given up attempting to drill a plank on a wall and has moved on to arranging the television stand. "Hey Cassie!" Gabe yells and Cas huffs.

"I'm right here Gabriel, there is no need to yell," he grumbles as he turns around. He finally acknowledges the other two that have entered the room.

"Dean, Sam, this is my brother Castiel. Cassie, this is Dean and Sam," Gabriel smiles, pointing to each person in turn. Castiel offers the other two a half smile, Sam waves awkwardly, and Dean just looks a bit awestruck. He has always been one to appreciate fine beauty, but Castiel has him a bit gob smacked. How exactly does one get their eyes that shade of blue?

"Alright, let's go help get this truck emptied before the next one gets here," Gabriel says, taking no notice of the googly eyes that Dean and Castiel seemed to be sending each other. Dean clears his throat, in some attempt to gain back a shred of manliness, before following Gabriel out the door. Castiel scratches the back of his neck, now left alone with Sam, who did not have the pleasure of Gabriel's naivety.

"So Dean said you like comics, what do you read?"

._.

"Power couple incoming. Oh, and they brought Kevin," Dean calls out, hopping off of the dining room table they just put into place. It was the last thing in the first truck, now they were just waiting on the second one.

"Ding-dong bitches!" Charlie yells as she enters the door.

"Hey Charlie," Gabe says, walking into the hallway where the main door is. Charlie releases a shriek of joy. "Good to see you too," Gabe laughs, pretending to unblock his ear.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Charlie grins. "You're actually moving here! This is going to be great. So, where's Cassie at? I gotta meet the kid," Charlie grins, excited to meet the comic-book collecting teenager. She and Castiel had spent countless hours nerding with each other online. Castiel even had a small crush on her at one point, until Gabriel burst his bubble by telling him she was a lesbian.

"Him and Sam are organizing the living room," Dean says, pointing to a doorway a little bit down the hall.

"Oh Cassie!" Charlie yells down the hall, walking towards the living room. She leaves Gilda at the door. Gilda gives Gabriel a tentative smile.

"Hello Gabriel, it is nice to finally meet you. I am sorry we did not meet before, but I was ill when you and Charlie went to Comicon," she says softly, her voice almost a murmur. Dean chuckles slightly. Gilda is so quiet when she first meets people, it is a rather quirky quality, but not an unpleasant one.

"Don't sweat it. It's great to finally meet you in person Lid," Gabriel grins at her. She smiles softly back before heading in the direction Charlie just took off in.

"Which one do you think is going to get their head out of their ass first?" Gabriel asks, turning his head to face Dean. Dean chuckles, scratching his chin.

"Charlie, most definitely. No way can I see Gilda making the first move."

"Valid point. My money's on Gilda. It's always the quiet ones," Gabriel says, tapping Dean on the nose before following after the others.

"Wh- you- why did you tap my nose?" Dean questions, obvious confusion in his voice. Gabriel just laughs in response, but no real words are spoken. Dean can already tell that a friendship with Gabriel is going to be an odd one.


	3. Chapter 3: Facing the First Day

Castiel always hated the first day of school. It was just another day when he had to turn around from the glory of summer vacation and face all the kids that basically ignored his very existence. This time, however, it was a whole new set of faces set out to ignore his very existence. Grand.

"Hey Cas!" he hears a voice call from down the hall and he stops to turn and wave confusedly at Sam. He hadn't expected Sam to actually communicate with him optionally out the view of his brother's keen eye. Sam caught up to him and stopped by his side. "So, you know where you're going for your classes?" he questions, twisting the cap off of the water bottle he is carrying.

"I think so. The principle told me where most of the stuff is."

"Have you been to the classes?" Sam asks, eyebrow raised.

"No," Castiel says, second guessing his knowledge of location. He glances back to the paper in his hand. He bites his lip and cocks his head slightly, suddenly befuddled.

"Here, let me see it," Sam says, holding out his hand. Castiel hands over his schedule and Sam takes a moment to examine it. His face breaks out in a grin and he pats Castiel on the back. "Good news Cas, you're stuck with me for most of the day," Sam says.

"Well at least I will know someone," he chuckles softly.

._.

Castiel feels terrified as he moves towards the lunch checkout, his finer gripping tightly to the Styrofoam tray in his hands. He is about to face the move terrifying portion of any first day; figuring out where to sit in the cafeteria. At his old school he had at least had a few friends he could avoid humanity with. Here, however, he is going in completely blind.

Once he pays for the glop on his plate he moves forward from the line slowly, taking his time to examine the large room in front of him. He only has a minute to panic over his limited options before her feels someone lightly bump his shoulder. He would have assumed it an accident had it not come directly from his side, and not in passing. He turns to see Sam standing there and nearly breaths out a sigh of relief.

Sam has been his saving grace throughout most of the day. There has only been one class they haven't had together, which was right before lunch when Sam went to Wood Shop and Castiel went to Financial Literacy. Sam apparently felt like saving the day just one more time, offering Castiel a friendly smile. "Hey Cas, some friends and I are sitting over there if you wanted to join us. Fair warning, they can be a bit… overwhelming" Sam says, trying to pick his words carefully.

"Thank you Sam," Castiel smiles softly and Sam grins, beginning the walk towards his table. Castiel follows behind quietly, eyes locked on his tray. Once he and Sam are seated he takes a moment to look around the table. "Quite a rowdy group Sam," Castiel comments sarcastically, pointing out the lack of people.

"They're all still in the lunch line. They all come from the science lab which is all the way across the school. Ah, look, here comes Jo now," Sam says the last sentence a little louder, drawing the girl's attention. She shoots him a glare.

"Not telling stories are we?" she asks, a threatening tone in her voice. Castiel can't quite tell if it's meant to be joking or not at first. However, her eyes quickly soften and her face splits in a grin. "So, is this the newbie I've been hearing about all day?" Jo asks, her eyes moving to Castiel.

"Jo, this is Castiel Novak. His brother and he just moved here from North Carolina. Castiel, this is Jo Harvelle. Her mother owns the Roadhouse," Sam says and Castiel nods. He remembers Dean and Gabriel planning a dinner for their group of internet friends as well as Sam and himself involving said restaurant.

"Hey Cas," a familiar voice says to Cass left. Cas turns to see Kevin pulling out the chair next to him and he smiles at the boy. He and Kevin had made fast friends the previous day, perhaps even quicker than he and Sam. There was just something about Kevin that Castiel liked, but he couldn't quite place what it was. The fact that they liked pretty much the exact same things helped a little.

"Hello Kevin," he greeted.

"And last but not least we have Andrew Gallagher. Andy, this is Castiel Novak. Cas, this is Andy," Sam says, waving his hands between the two. "Occasionally we have a few others that will sit here but this is the main part of our group," Sam says before attempting to stab his fork into the sad excuse for a salad on his plate.

._.

It was almost odd how quickly Castiel was accepted into the conversation of the table, as if he had known all these people for years.

"I'm being serious! I think Mrs. H was coming onto me! You better watch it Kev, she's after the brains," Andy says, tapping his head and wiggling his eyebrows at Kevin. Kevin's face distorts in disgust.

Jo snorts. "Please, we all know Kevin has got a freaking heart string dedicated to Chuck. No way he would go after the old she-witch," she says, rolling her eyes.

"Chuck is one of the guys that sits with us sometimes. He's on the football team and he has an obsession with literature. Him and Kevin have been flirting with each other ever since Kevin helped him with his Pre-Cal last year but they're both blind as bats," Sam whispers to Cas and he chuckles. Sam has been the only one kind enough to fill him in on who is who in their stories, always in a lowered tone as if they were sharing gossip. Which they pretty much were.

._.

Sam is conflicted.

His day was fine, wonderful even, but he felt terrible. It wasn't like he didn't know why; of course he did. It was Castiel.

Perhaps the only reason Sam originally tried to befriend Castiel had been because his brother had pleaded with him, but he found himself growing fond of the kid. Perhaps a bit too fond, Sam realizes, and mildly panics. It has been happening more frequently than he would like to admit. Castiel isn't the first male that he has felt an attraction for.

Sure, Sam has nothing wrong with gays, obviously. His brother is gay, but that also means that Sam had to see what his brother went through. Sam can't even begin to recall the number of fights Dean was involved in that revolved around his sexuality. Some kids cannot handle the idea of same sex relationships.

Sam isn't as strong as his brother. He doesn't think he can handle the bullying, physically or mentally, and it isn't like he doesn't like girls. He does, but he likes boys too. It isn't just a physical thing for him; it's more the person inside that he sees. The person inside that he falls for. Sure, he is physically attracted to the human anatomy, but he wants- craves more than just a physical attraction.

Sam sighs, rolling over in his bed, his thoughts still racing. He grips at the sides of his head, rubbing his temples as he feels a headache coming on. He needs sleep.

(A/N: Cas and Sam flirting? What? I thought this was Dean/Cas and Sam/Gabe? Patience my darlings; it will all come in time.)


	4. Chapter 4: Date Night

(A/N: So somehow I managed to lose every single document I had typed out for this story, not quite sure how and I honestly don't quite remember where I was going with it next but I will continue the best I can. My sincerest apologies. I've been going through a lot, but I still love writing and I want to try.)

Chapter 4: Date Night

Friday night is met with a rather rowdy group of friends and family gathering at the Roadhouse. Ellen laughs as she watches the kids all laughing and chucking straw wrappers at one another. Their group always looks odd from an outside perspective; they all have their own unique style and though she never seemed to think they quite matched they all seem to get along swimmingly. They are all so different, but it is the slightest tinge of similarities that bonds their group. The differences only manage to strengthen that bond.

She grabs a pen and a pad and walks over to begin taking orders. As she gets nearer the muffled conversations turned into distinct voices, all throwing joking insults at one another. "Honestly, Gabriel. You consume an almost unhealthy amount of sugar," Sam says, giving Gabe a disgusted look as he downs an entire sugar packet, for the third time in a row. Gabe winks as he turns his gaze to Sam.

"It's what makes me so sweet Sam," he says, and Sam merely rolls his eyes. Dean scrunches his nose and turns toward an approaching Ellen.

"Ellen! How is my favorite businesswoman this afternoon?" Dean asks, grinning up at the woman who had adopted him and Sam. When their dad left them Dean and Sam had been too young to support themselves. They would have been thrown into the foster system had it not been for Bobby and Ellen stepping in. They adopted the two and gave them a place to live, at least until Dean graduated two years later. At that point, Dean had demanded that they had done enough, that his new job would be plenty to support himself and Sam. Wherever Dean went, Sam followed. They still visited the couple on a near weekly basis, however.

Ellen rolls her eyes at the greeting, holding up the pad and paper. "I'm fine, as always. Now what'll it be?" she asks and Dean grins before rattling off his usual order, not once opening the menu. The others all follow suit, and Ellen gives them all a grin as she walks off to place their orders.

As Gabriel turns his attention back to the table, he catches Sam once again sneaking a glance at his baby bro who is seated on his other side, between himself and Charlie. Gabriel, of course, had taken it upon himself to sit right across from Sam, the boy he has been no-so-subtly flirting with all week. Of course, it was in the more ludicrous method of pulling pig-tails and poking fun. Sam had not seemed to notice, Dean, on the other hand, was almost disgusted with it. He knows that Dean insists that Sam is straight, but the glances at his brother are telling a different story. He sighs, of course, his brother would be the one that managed to attract the attention of not only one, but both Winchesters.

Gabriel and Castiel come from a similar but different background to the Winchesters. They come from a family of Christian nuts whose father walked out on them, ones that did not take kindly to finding out that two of their kin were gay. Well, half gay. Gabriel liked to refer to it as a revolving door, he could swing in either direction if prompted by the right person. Castiel said he merely did not acknowledge gender when it came to choosing a relationship partner because Castiel is a hopeless romantic no matter how much he denies it. Once Gabriel was 18, he ran off with his baby brother away from the home that gave them so much mental abuse. Both boys had been sent to some anti-gay boot camp over their last two summers at home by their witch of a mother, and Gabriel had had enough. His mother had not even bothered sending for them; for that much, Gabriel was thankful.

"You look like you're thinking awfully hard Gabe," Charlie says softly, but it does not go unnoticed by the rest of the table. Gabriel had been unnaturally quiet for the past ten minutes. He zones back into reality, realizing that the whole table had now turned their attention toward him. He coughs into his hand, a faint flush reaching his cheeks as he realizes he had completely checked out.

"Sorry, zoned out," he said, trying once again not to think of the thoughts that were plaguing him. He had got extremely lucky when they left; he found a decent job, and though he and Cas struggled at first, they managed to be back on their feet within a couple months. He would do well not to dwell on the past.

"You okay?" Charlie asks, concern now canvasing her features.

"I'm absolutely splendid," Gabe says, the grin returning to his features as he faces his friends. "Not gonna lie, I was up late playing Call of Duty last night. I'm a little tired," he says, lying to cover the fact that his brain was having unwanted flashbacks. Castiel gave him an odd glance, knowing all too well that Gabriel was so beat from work yesterday that he proceeded to fall asleep on the couch. He had more than enough sleep, so why was he lying?

Castiel looked up, making eye contact with Sam, and smiled. He had noticed Sam keeping a watchful eye on him as of late, and though confused he was grateful nonetheless that Sam cared. Once their silent conversation was over, though Cas was not entirely sure what it was about, he allowed his gaze to drift a bit to the left where Dean was currently enthralled in a conversation with Charlie and Gilda about the newest RPG that was about to launch.

Dean glances over from the conversation and catches Cas staring at him. Upon acknowledgment, Cas's cheeks heat slightly and Dean grins. "Have you heard of The Apocalypse Cas?" Dean asks, and Castiel shakes his head. Video games have always been more of Gabriel's thing. "It looks awesome. You play either an angel, a demon, or a human, the characters are almost completely customizable, and you enter this like war between heaven and hell. It's hard to explain all the specifics but you have to see the trailer. It looks so good," Dean says, and Cas grins. The game seems interesting, but what really has him intrigued is the excitement that fills Dean's eyes as he talks about it.

"Sounds interesting," Castiel comments, realizing that he had not responded and instead just continued staring at Dean like some stupid love-struck teenager. Charlie grins at the interaction between the two, excited to finally have something to taunt Dean with when he brings up her and Gilda's situation. Dean notices the smug grin and a feeling of panic washes over him for a moment; was he really being that obvious?

"So, Moose, how are classes going?" Gabriel asks, and Sam cocks an eyebrow at him.

"Moose?"

"Yeah, ya know? Super tall, floppy brown hair, big brown eyes, almost overly-friendly Canadian appearance. Moose," Gabe says, grinning at his explanation. The nickname had hit him out of nowhere the day prior, and he had been waiting for the perfect chance to use it. Honestly, it suited the younger Winchester quite well. Sam rolled his eyes, a small grin on his face as he resisted laughing. Honestly, that was probably the most original that Gabriel has come up with so far.

"I don't even know how to respond to that," Sam says honestly, chuckling a bit. Gabriel grins at making the giant speechless and rests his head on his hand, holding his other hand to his mouth.

"You answer the original question Samsquatch," he says, his voice a stage whisper. Sam rolls his eyes but chuckles despite himself. Out of all the things he has been called, Gabriel's were the most unique.

"School is going well," Sam says, eyes linking with Gabriel's. He notices how the gold in Gabriel's eyes almost seems to dance with amusement against the light brown background, and he would be lying if he said it did not cause a small stirring in his stomach. It is an odd thought that Sam quickly brushes off, because if he was going to admire anyone it was not going to be the man that lived to annoy him.

"Wow, I'm flabbergasted by that enthralling tale of your studies. Honestly, don't tell me more I might actually burst with so much knowledge," Gabriel deadpans, somehow managing to keep his features straight for a mere moment before smirking at the man in front of him.

"Gabriel, you should know as well as anyone that when students are out of school none of us want to talk about school," Castiel says, shooting an exhausted look at his brother. Gabriel waves him off, sitting up in his seat.

"Nonsense Cassie, I was always up for talking about school." At this statement Castiel scoffs.

"No, you loved reliving the torture you put your poor teachers through. They are two separate things," Castiel states, his eyes challenging Gabriel to correct him. Gabriel simply grins.

"Oh but Cassie how else was I supposed to entertain myself for increments of 45 minutes when I was trapped in a room full of belligerent students and spiteful teachers?"

"Gabriel the only fight you ever got into was when you were sticking up for me my freshman year. Everyone else loved you," Cas says, thinking back on the group of seniors that were attempting to dunk his head in the toilet because, "this fucking faggot shouldn't be in the same locker room."

"Yeah, being the class clown had its perks," Gabriel grins, looking over at Sam once more.

"What happened freshman year?" Sam asks with a raised eyebrow, looking between the two.

"I foolishly decided to get a crush a male in my gym class and I, erm, may have glanced at him in the locker room and a couple of his friends noticed. The only reason Gabriel didn't get beat to hell was because he went and got a teacher when his friends cornered me. He was nice to me because I tutored him, but um, his friends not so much," Cas says, looking down as he recalls the story as if it had happened yesterday. The memory is still fresh in his mind.

"Hey! I held my own," Gabe says, and Cas simply rolls his eyes.

"Gabriel, they were all on the basketball team and nearly twice your size."

"Yeah well… shut up," Gabriel pouts, scrunching down in his seat. Sam chuckles at the child-like action that would almost be considered adorable, well that is if he found Gabriel adorable. Which he did not, nope, not at all. Gabriel shoots him a mocking glare which is cut short as a tray stand is placed at the end of their table by a small blonde whom, he had learned earlier in the evening, went by Jo. Ellen follows close behind and places down a large tray covered in different plates of food.

"I'll go grab the other one," Jo says, walking back toward the counter.

"Alright darlin'. Order up kids!" Ellen grins as she sits the tray on the stand and begins handing out the food.

(A/N: Writing this chapter has given me a general sense of understanding of where I want this to go. I'm going to try and start updating at least once a week, but I am a full-time college student with a part-time job so please be patient with me.)


	5. Chapter 5: The Life of a Poet

Chapter 5: The Life of a Poet

Sam, Kevin, and Cas are studying on the couch, and Dean is trying too hard not to stare. He is moving consistently between the kitchen and the garage, always with another excuse as to why he has to come indoors. Sam and Kevin are ignoring him for the most part; Castiel, on the other hand, cannot bring himself to focus on his studies. Calculus seems so insignificant when you have your best friend's brother and your brother's best friend sneaking glances at you as he's covered in grease and sweat from working on his car.

Sam sighs as once again Castiel has not heard a word he has said. Sam knows he is not annoyed merely because Castiel has become distracted from their schoolwork, which honestly is boring Sam out of his mind as well, he is annoyed because Cas keeps staring at Dean and Dean keeps staring at Cas and _fuck all_ if he is not jealous. Sam knew that those two had picked each other it as soon as Dean and Cas laid eyes on one another. That first day a mere two weeks ago and still he cannot help but think- hope that- but no. It is stupid, really. It is not even that big of a crush. It is the same feeling he got when he became friends with Jo. Sam has a way of blowing minute feelings out of proportion. Sam was terrified for weeks that Jo was going to find out about his stupid crush and next thing he knew he did not even have a crush. Sam had just cared for her so much, wanted to protect her, that he got his feelings all confused. She was like a sister. He knows his situation with Cas is the same; his emotions just have not caught up with him yet.

"You know I wonder if I taped a picture of Dean to your math book if it might help you focus," Sam jokes and Castiel's face turns a deep shade of red within seconds as he turns back to the conversation. Kevin scoffs but still does not lift his eyes to the conversation in front of him.

"Sorry," Cas says, not even denying the looks he had been throwing in Dean's direction.

"It's alright dude. It's just, you do realize the exam is tomorrow, right?" Sam asks and Castiel nods his head, positioning his hand above his paper.

"I do. I just um- I mean I-"

"It's alright man, I get it," Sam laughs and Castiel blushes again. Sam feels more annoyed than hurt at the blush casting itself against Cas's features. He does not want Cas to be another one of Dean's one night stands. He is too good for that.

Sam and Dean grew up without a proper example of a healthy relationship, considering their mother had died when Sam was merely an infant. Hell, their father never even gave them a good example of familial love. The closest example they had of that was Bobby and Ellen, but at that point, they were already both beyond damaged. It made relationships difficult for both Dean and Sam. Sam got attached too quickly, and Dean rarely got attached. They were polar opposites and both a bit emotionally stupid.

Castiel and Sam fall quiet once more as they begin to focus on their studies. The only words spoken are when Sam asks Cas what answer he got for 76. Then more silence. This silence continues for a good ten minutes. Then the doors opens. "Sorry, needed to wash my hands."

"Dean that's like the fourth time you've washed your hands in the past thirty minutes."

"Well I don't wanna mess up baby's interior now, do I?" Dean asks sarcastically as he sticks his hand under the running faucet.

"Actually at this frequency, you are more likely to damage your own skin. Washing your hands too frequently is a common sign among those with OCD, and can often lead to chapped and bleeding skin," Castiel says, stopping mid-problem to interject into the conversation. When Dean turns around with a raised eyebrow Castiel blushes. "Sorry," he mutters, looking back down at his papers.

"Don't apologize Cas. I kinda like it when you talk nerdy. Gives you character," Dean says, winking at Castiel as he walks out the door.

"Oh my God when are you two just gonna make out and get it over with," Kevin huffs as he looks up from his homework for the first time in the last hour. Complete and utter annoyance gracing his features. "At this rate, you won't even have half of your homework done by the time we go meet everyone else. Meanwhile, I'm done," Kevin says, closing his Advanced Calculus book and pulling up his laptop. "Onto English," he sighs, dreading the poem he has to write. He hates it when teachers want him to think creatively.

"Dean doesn't- he wouldn't-"

"Yes he would," Sam and Kevin say in unison, completely deadpan.

"Shut up," Castiel murmurs, blushing brightly as he looks down at his still-unsolved problem.

"We wouldn't have to keep saying it if you would just listen," Kevin sighs, eyes narrowed at his laptop as if it personally offended him. Twenty minutes of uninterrupted silence later and he is still in the same position, not sure how to even begin. "How the hell do you write poetry?" Kevin sighs, laying his head on the table.

"Think of Chuck," Sam says, and Kevin shoots him a glare. "Okay for once I am not picking on you guys. The only thing that all poetry has in common is emotion, and who do you feel emotion most strongly toward?" Sam says, raising an eyebrow. Kevin huffs. "I'm just saying, if you're struggling with a topic, romance is always a win."

"You're suggesting that I write a poem about Chuck. He is in my freaking English class! We have to _read_ these."

"And?"

"And? What if he hears me? I'm not exactly the kind to go shouting their love off of rooftops. _Not_ that it is," Kevin says as Sam goes to interject, a smug grin plastered on his face. Sam sighs, rolling his eyes.

"Don't put his name in it, just how he makes you feel. When you're around him or when you're apart. It doesn't matter what kind of emotion it is. Heck, you don't even have to put that it's a guy, just write it in second person."

"I did mine about bees."

"Not helping Cas," Sam says, closing his eyes in frustration.

"Winchester, if this backfires, it's your ass," Kevin whines as he begins nervously hovering his fingers over the keys. Slowly he begins typing, and then deleting, and then typing, and then deleting, and then finally he has a title.

"Indignant?" Castiel asks, tilting his head slightly as he glances at the title over his friend's shoulder.

"It'll make sense in the end. I think. I hope," Kevin says nervously, hoping to high heaven that Chuck gets a stomach bug before it comes Kevin's turn to present.

* * *

Indignant

By Kevin Tran

To be indignant is to feel anger over something unjust or unworthy,

And that is what I feel every time I look at you.

I'm angry because it isn't right,

It isn't right that God poured that much perfection

Into one human being.

It isn't right that

Every time I look at you I know what I feel,

But you can't see the damage you've done.

It isn't right because every time I look at you

The emptiness in my chest doubles.

I'm indignant because I know you.

I'm indignant because you don't know.

"Kevin that was beautiful! I knew you had it in you," Mrs. Tarantelli grins, patting Kevin on the back as she moves to the front. Kevin smiles, brutally aware of how hot his face feels. He has not looked at anyone in his class, never even glanced up from his paper when he was reading. A few had clapped politely when he finished, as they had done for the twelve others that had already read.

"Thank you," Kevin says, handing over his poem for grading and shuffling back to his seat. He glances up at the seat next to him where Chuck is sitting, unaware of what he's going to see. Chuck smiles at him, though it looks forced. Kevin raises a questioning brow but Chuck waves it off, patting his friend on the back and congratulating him for doing well on the assignment.

"It hasn't been graded yet," Kevin whispers back as the next student begins reading.

"It was good though Kevin. Trust me, I should know," Chuck says, and Kevin smiles softly. He almost forgets the jock's love for literature sometimes, considering he never really talks about it.

"I almost forgot. How are the books coming along?" Kevin asks and Chuck feels his face heat.

"Good, I'm on my second one," Chuck grins, glancing over at his friend. A throat being cleared draws their attention back to the front where their classmate is currently stuttering over her words as she tries to finish her poem about the ocean. The bell rings on the last word of her poem and the class barely pauses before beginning to gather their things.

"Alright class, we'll pick up on presentations tomorrow! Have a good day!" Mrs. Tarantelli calls over the cacophony of chairs being slid backward and bookbags clanging against desks.

"So uh, who was your poem about?" Chuck asks as they begin walking to their next class. Kevin splutters, not expecting the question.

"N-no one," he says, not making eye contact.

"Kevin, you are a horrible liar," Chuck says but presses the matter no more. After all, he does not _really_ want the answer. He is already finding it hard enough to keep his jealousy bottled up, he does not need a face to label it with. After all, he had already thrown out three of his poem options to present to the class because no matter how hard he tried they all ended up on the same fucking topic. He eventually settled for a poem about walking through the woods at night, that, if looked at in a certain light could be construed as a metaphor for having a fear of falling in love, but his class would never catch that.

(A/N: I felt like more Kevin/Chuck was needed so this tidbit at the end kinda made me happy. I know it's a bit short but like I should have started studying for my Biology exam a solid two hours ago. However, I really wanted to update, so, here ya go!)


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